At least 12 people died after the left engine separated from a UPS plane as it left Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky on Tuesday and crashed in a ball of flames, authorities said.
Among the dead were the plane’s three crew members and nine other people who have not yet been identified, according to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.
Gov. Andy Beshear said at a news conference Wednesday that one of the victims is believed to be a young child, “which makes it even more difficult.”
Smoke and flames rise from the crash site of a UPS cargo plane outside Louisville International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, on Nov. 4, 2025.
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The coroner is on scene trying to determine the victims’ identities, but Beshear said it will be “a little more difficult” due to the condition of the bodies.
Two people who were hospitalized still remain in critical condition, Beshear said.
Beshear, accompanied by Greenberg and Congressman Morgan McGarvey, visited the crash site Wednesday and McGarvey said it was “like a scene out of a ‘Terminator’ movie.”
“The smells, the sights. These are things that are not going to escape us when we close our eyes tonight,” McGarvey said.
Smoke and flames rise when a UPS cargo plane crashes in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 4, 2025.
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Greenberg said earlier in the day, as the death count reached nine, that he expected it to rise.
“There are no words I can offer to family members who are seeking information about someone who they believe may have been near the scene of the accident and who they have not yet heard from,” Greenberg told ABC News Live on Wednesday.
A “very large debris field” still remains at the crash site as officials try to “find other victims as soon as possible,” Greenberg said.
During a briefing Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board said the plane’s black boxes have been recovered and will be sent to Washington, D.C. for analysis.
While the probable cause of the crash was not revealed, the NTSB said the plane’s left engine dislodged after a “large plume of fire” erupted from the left wing.
“The airplane took off and gained enough altitude to clear the fence at the end of Runway 17R. Shortly after clearing that fence, it impacted structures and terrain outside of airport property,” according to Todd Inman, NTSB board member.
A plume of smoke hangs over airport property after reports of a plane crash at Louisville International Airport, Nov. 4, 2025, in Louisville, Kentucky.
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Beshear declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to assist in the response to the plane crash. He said he believes the number of fatalities will increase until there is at least one more victim.
University of Louisville Health said it received 15 patients in the airport incident, two of whom were in critical condition at a burn center.
“Louisville looked apocalyptic last night,” McGarvey said Wednesday.
Smoke and flames rise from the crash site of a UPS cargo plane outside Louisville International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, on Nov. 4, 2025.
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Search and recovery efforts will continue for “at least a week or more,” Okolona Fire Protection District Chief Mark Little said Wednesday.
Video captured the moment the plane, loaded with thousands of gallons of fuel for a long-haul flight to Hawaii, crashed, resulting in a large fireball.
Two businesses on land were affected by the accident, Beshear said.
One business, Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, appears to have been “pretty directly affected,” while another business, Grade A Auto Parts, was also affected, Beshear said. Two Grade A Auto Parts employees were missing, he said.
“It may be some time before we can account for everyone or know that there was no one else at the location,” Beshear said.
Jefferson County Public Schools He said all schools will be closed Wednesday due to a shelter-in-place order, but are expected to open Thursday after inspections confirmed water and air quality were safe.
UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo plane was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, the agency said.
The plane crashed approximately 3 miles south of the airfield, according to Officer Jonathan Biven of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority.
Smoke and flames rise from the crash site of a UPS cargo plane outside Louisville International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, on Nov. 4, 2025.
Jon Cherry/AP
Members of the National Transportation Safety Board arrived at the crash site Wednesday and “will look at every detail of what happened,” McGarvey said.
CCTV security coverage showed “the engine detaching from the wing during takeoff,” Inman said.
The NTSB will be on scene “for at least a week” as debris from the crash covers a half-mile, Inman said. The FBI is also assisting in the investigation, the NTSB said.
The NTSB did not reveal when it will release a preliminary report on the crash.
The plane was carrying approximately 220,000 pounds of jet fuel, which is equivalent to about 38,000 gallons, authorities said.
The airport is home to UPS Worldport, the company massive package handling facility, which will remain closed Wednesday.
“Our sincerest thoughts are with everyone involved,” the company said in a statement. “UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers and the communities we serve. This is especially true in Louisville, home to our airline and thousands of UPS customers.”
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident.
The airport reopened around 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Authorities said they expect the scene to be active over the next few days.
According to Beshear, there was no dangerous cargo on board the plane.
ABC News’ Luke Barr, Sam Sweeney and Ayesha Ali contributed to this report.
